Chapter 37

Q's mind came tumbling back to a simpler time.

A time when the idea of princes and ballrooms was as distant and fantastical as the stories Maddy used to read.

They'd been sitting on the edge of the creek behind Maddy's house, their bare feet dangling in the cool water. Maddy had a book in her lap, one of her favorites, with a gilded cover and pages worn soft from too many rereads. It was a love story, of course, princesses falling head over heels for dashing, heroic princes. Maddy had been absorbed in it for most of the afternoon, her brow furrowed in concentration as she devoured each page.

"Queenie." 

"Hm?"

Q had been preoccupied with balancing a stick on her knee, trying to see how long it would stay there before toppling. Maddy's cheeks had gone pink as she asked, her fingers fiddling with the edge of the page.

"What do you think a perfect prince is like?"